8 reasons why Samsung's new Galaxy S8 is awesome

Find out why the Galaxy S8 should be your next smartphone

After what seems like a very long wait, the Samsung Galaxy S8 has finally landed. If you’re still on the fence about whether or not it’s the next smartphone for you, here are a few things we love about it…

1. To infinity and beyond

The Samsung Galaxy S8’s infinity display is the real headline of the smartphone. It measures 5.8-inches from corner to corner, has a dual curved edged design, and it’s Quad HD resolution. It’s built with Gorilla Glass 5 to protect it against any bumps or scrapes, and it features Samsung’s own Super AMOLED technology.

And yeah, it is as awesome as it looks – featuring nearly half a million more pixels the Galaxy S7.

2. The strip down

One of the defining features about the S8 is its minimal design. Gone are bezels, and so is the home button, which is now on-screen. The slick glass build is held together with a subtle metallic frame. And size-wise, it’s slightly thinner than 2016’s S7.

3. We live in the future

You can unlock the Galaxy S8 with your eyes. Like in the movies.

An iris scanner is positioned just above the display, and offers a secondary level of biometric security, after the fingerprint scanner, which is now round the back next to the camera lens.

4. Who is Bixby?

Bixby is Samsung’s virtual assistant, which is built into the Samsung Galaxy S8. It has its own dedicated button, which is just underneath the volume rocker on the side of the phone, and it’s said to be able to understand more contextual requests than its friends - á la Cortana, Google Assistant etc.

The Americans will be able to enjoy the delights of Bixby before we do here in the UK, unfortunately. It will arrive later in the year though a software update. More on this soon.

5. So, it’s a phone and a computer?

*

Yes. Sort of… The S8 is a packed with plenty of power. And to prove its salt, Samsung demonstrated how it could become a desktop computer, with the help of a hockey puck-sized dock.

Much like Microsoft’s Continuum system, Samsung Dex lets you scale up your mobile experience and get things done easier on the big screen. So where we once had boxy towers, which whirred away under the desk - we now have a mobile phone. How time flies, eh?

6. Power up in a flash

Fast charging is all the rage these days, but with USB Type-C technology, you can go quicker than ever before. And, it’s symmetrical – unlike microUSB – so you’ll never have to frustratingly work out which way is up.

7. Life-proof

Just like the Samsung Galaxy S7, the S8 is protected against water and dust, certified as IP68. This means it can be submerged in 1.5m of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. So, you’ll have no problem if you get caught in a downpour.